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Re: donating milk - implications for weaning and oversupply?

I can't really remember. Maybe somewhere around 6 months? However, it was a blessing in a way because it was easy to pump what she needed when I was at work. Although she refused bottles, so it wouldn't have been that hard to pump what little she actually drank.

For several months I would nurse her on one side for up to 4 hours and then the other side. After a while I just started nursing her one-sided from feeding to feeding. She never did take both breasts.

I did notice a drop in supply around 9 months when I was pumping at work and that's when I think that my body finally regulated to what she was taking out.

Re: donating milk - implications for weaning and oversupply?

Your baby is still really young. And your supply is still regulating itself. You are worrying about something you don't need to:gvibe You aren't going to be doing reverse softening forever.

The vast majority of OS mamas find it disappears within the first few months. There's a few of us for whom it does not disappear -- I'm one of them, and I have OS usually for about 10 months -- but it becomes more manageable with time.

I usually suggest the following:
block feeding
NO PUMPING

Don't worry about what you are "wasting" because if you start worrying about it, you may inadvertently do things to keep it going.

You will have no problems pumping enough after you go back to work to keep baby supplied. At that point, usually the leaking subsides (or you learned ways to manage it) and you can pump 2-4 times a day to keep yourself comfortable while you are away from baby.

By the time you do get around to weaning -- the AAP recommends a full 12 months and then as long as mutually desired after that -- your supply won't be like it is now.

Re: donating milk - implications for weaning and oversupply?

Hi Sanam 2010

i had the same problem. My baby is now 11 weeks and things seem to be getting better. i was pumping continuously between feedings cause i was getting so engorged. Then under the advice of a LL leader I block fed her and stop the pumping all together cause it seemed to be a vicious cycyle the more i pumped the more engorged i became. At feedings milk would squirt everywhere, LO would be chocking, the couch was getting wet and i thought how horrible is this....I am not engorged anymore and it has been so for 4 weeks now. Before that I would wake up to drenched bed sheets, after a shower i would have to sit down with two bowls under each breast cause it was just dripping.

I am only going back to work in 7 months so like you i intend to start a stash in the freezer later for her to use at daycare ( at 10 months old). So basically, give it some time. I know how you feel and how annoying it is but it will get better. BTW, me too i extracted over the sink before feeding it was too complicated to get everything together and make sure it was clean to store the milk properly at each feeding. Hang in there!

Re: donating milk - implications for weaning and oversupply?

indeed my supply has regulated now and seems to have overregulated, now it isn't enough! what a nightmare. i wish i had expressed and kept some in the bounty days! i might have to supplement with formula now, i don't know what happened! have posted about it ni the not enough milk thread.